Manny's Steakhouse
go for the dinner and you will have significantly more than you can eat of some of the best steakhouse food you've ever had.

Moderately expensive

Heidi's Minneapolis
Relatively new restaurant and after my first visit it was immediately one of my favorites. Truly fantastic food at great prices. It's tiny, however, so reservations are an absolute must. The menu rotates about once a season, but I highly recommend the vegetarian "bolognese", and the 1776 lamb, and if they ever bring back the pheasant you have to get it. Hard to put the style in a box, he takes influences from all over the place and just makes delicious food.

Cafe Barbette
great place to go for a bottle of wine and some classic french cuisine. they've got a really nice happy hour. to be frank I rarely go except after 10 for the mussels, frites and a bottle of belgian beer.

Saffron
Amazing Mediterranean and middle eastern cuisine. Also relatively new, but not to be missed. The happy hour deals are noteworthy as well.

Solera
Fantastic spanish cuisine at a great location downtown. I always get the tasting menu, and it's never done me wrong. They've got a lovely bar on the roof for some drinks and apps as well.

Broder's Pasta Bar
For good and hearty italian you pretty much can't beat it. Great pasta, hell pretty much everything is great, including the atmosphere and service.

Amore Victoria
Similar to Broder's in a lot of respects. really big menu, and sometimes they have some really good happy hour specials.

Figlio
Trendy spot with decent happy hour. Italian food. To be frank, you'd generally be better off at the two aforementioned italian spots unless you're looking for something in particular. Still, i don't want to disparage the food, it's quite tasty.

Tacos Morelos
Not quite cheap, but cheaper than the rest here. Best tex mex in town. Go here for enchiladas.

Pizza Nea
Best pizza in town. no delivery, just fantastic neapolitan pizza. I highly recommend the rucola (red), or if you're not feeling like arugula (it's good enough for obama!) go for the capricciosa. but then again, i'm an absolute prosciutto fiend.

cheap
Los Ocampo
Go here for fantastic authentic mexican food. I'm not talking enchiladas, i'm talking real authentic mexican food. Imagine you're out late in Puebla and drunk and you see a guy on the side of the road slinging some gorditas. Now move that guy to minneapolis. I always seem to get the gorditas or tlacoyo. Make sure you get the green avacado sauce. it's super spicy (sometimes, seems to vary), but even more delicious.

Abu Nader (st paul)
Great middle eastern fare. I always get the shawarma special, which includes half a shawarma, some hummus and pita, a piece of baklava and a drink for 8.50. a steal. also, the baba ghanoush is the best around, smoky and delicious.

Quang
Anthony Bourdain says minneapolis has the best vietnamese food in the country, and quang has the best pho. enough said.

Pho '79 (minneapolis and st paul)
I always go to the one in st paul for lunch during work. delicious and cheap.

pubs
Town Hall Brewery
Go here. I can't stress it enough, go here. The masala mama is one of the best IPAs you'll ever have in your life and they always have an interesting array of seasonals on tap. The food is quite good pub fare as well.

Bulldog (northeast and uptown)
Great burgers, good tap list and atmosphere, what more can you ask for?

C.C. Club
You won't find a better dive bar in town. Unless you go to the country bar. But if you're looking for a place that manages to bridge the gap between hipsters and everyone else and still feel like a great dive bar while serving cheap ass beer (always get the pitcher of the month...), you won't do better.

The Country Bar
You're gonna smell like chicken. The first time i went there, a couple of passing women told me that, and the observation couldn't be more astute. the entire place smells like fried chicken, but it has quite cheap beer and i'm pretty sure karaoke all the time. at least i've never been there without karaoke.

Liquor Lyle's
Some people say it's a dive bar. I guess it is, kinda. But it's not that divey, certainly pales in comparison to the first two bars. But the drinks are cheap and strong. Show up between 9 and 11 every night and get 2 for 1s on everything. did i say they poured their drinks strong?

well, there you go. some of my favorite places. probably forgot some...

It's in Fresno, and it's the best place to eat there. Savory bbq'd food at affordable prices. There's a Bar. Several HUGE tv's all around the place displaying various televised games. It's less than 6 bucks for a pulled pork sandwich - moniker: the pig sandwich - and it's the most delicious pulled pork sandwich you'll ever eat. When you're hungry and there's a game on, Doghouse is the place to go.

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Milwaukee - cant go back home without making the trip to Jimmy's Grotto. You like pizza? You like deep fried stuff? Take a calzone n deep fry it. Gloriousness. Not only will they deliver your ponza rotta, but cigerettes n booze too. Makes for happy stoners through out the land.

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This is a partial list of restaurants in downtown/west philly that I've been to - if you want other suggestions, I know quite a few more but these are the big names, I'll try to keep adding to this list as well.

What's on the list right now I would say pretty much all qualify as expensive to very expensive restaurants. I'd say the average bill for two people at most of these places with some drinks would be around $80-$100.

Philadelphia, PA

The Fountain at the Four Seasons - Went here for Valentines day last year (I got lucky, but you probably need at least a month out to normally get a Valentines day reservation here). Amazing to say the least, by far the best restaurant in Philly with prices to match.

Beneluxx - Cheese, Wine, Beer and Chocolate tasting room - perhaps the best idea for a restaurant ever. It got to the point where the waiters knew our order when we came in. The wild boar sausage is amazing but we primarily stick to the cheeses and beers. If you like beer it is worth going to just to be able to sample a ton of different beers at ones.

Tria - Wine, Beer, Cheese tasting. It's very nice and is a "classier" spot that Beneluxx (Beneluxx is in a basement and has glass washers built into the table) but it's more expensive and IMO their selection especially on beer and cheese is not at the same level. It's a better date spot, but if you really want to do a tasting go to Beneluxx.

Positano Coast - Italian coastal food, very good right next to the Ritz movie theater, they also have these "booths" with cushions that are very romantic if a little hard to eat in. The black squid ink pasta is very good - the whole menu is quite top notch, I've never been disappointed with a dish.

Cuba Libre - Really fun Cuban place, great mojitos and capirhinas. Is a great place for a party - the dj normally plays good music. They also have a really fun tasting menu that lets you get a sample of pretty much everything on the menu - it's a great option and it's pretty reasonable especially for how much food you get.

Lacroix - Best brunch in Philadelphia (as it should be at about $60/head). It's really amazing.

Marigold Kitchen - They changed head chef like three times in two years so each time I went back it was completely different, the only thing that remained constant was the awful service. One time the tasting menu (5 course) took nearly four hours. It's a BYOB which is nice, and the food is good and localized/seasonal but it's hard to recommend with the awful service experiences I've had there.

Garces Restaurant Group

Amada - My favorite of his three restaurants. They stopped serving foie gras which took the best item (the foie gras flat bread) off the menu. They serve Spanish style tapas. The sangria is quite good (the red is good even in the winter, the white is a nice peach mint blend, very nice in the summer). The meat and cheese plates are amazing (although if you just want that go to Beneluxx)

Tinto - I haven't actually been here for dinner, but their lunch is great, it can be quite pricey though. They have a delicious tuna sandwich and also an amazing meat plate.

Distrito - The only one that I've been disappointed with. It's not that the food is bad, it's just not anything special and the prices (nearly) match those of the other two places. They do have good drinks and a fun atmosphere so I'll probably be back for happy hour. The carnitas tacos are really the only item that I remember from the menu.

Stephen Starr

Pod - The West Philly Stephen Starr - Great lunch special which features some items from the dinner menu, but gets to you in 15 minutes for about $20 with tax/tip. The sushi here is alright (nothing bad, nothing great - might as well go to Mizu or Nara if you want sushi and are in west philly). It's fun and has a good menu - however, the menu has not changed in the four years I've been here at all so it can get a bit boring if you keep going back.

Buddakan - Pod downtown with a golden Buddah and a ridiculous wait time for a weekend reservation (about a month). Yes, the menu is bigger that Pod's and there are a few interesting things that aren't on Pod's menu, but IMO quite overrated. I know some people will disagree with me, but not worth the hype.

The Continental - Eclectic American- like lobster mac and cheese, the food is quite good although it's kind of a weird looking place. Probably wouldn't take a date here, but it has never disappointed me. Also has another location in Center City (or as they call it Midtown).

Jones - I haven't actually eaten in the restaurant, but I have gotten food through dining in quite a few times. The food is very good, southern comfort style classed up. Big portions which is good because, well it's a Starr restaurant so it's priced accordingly.

Alma De Cuba - Great for both lunch and dinner they have very tasty mojitos. The Cuban sandwich is really good. It's been a little while since I've been back to this one and I get it mixed up with Cuba Libre sometime (both are very good)

El Vez - Mexican fusion - it's very good, but if you are looking for real Mexican go to Lolita's or Tequila's. They do have a amazing margaritas, especially the blood orange, but as a SoCal native it never quite fulfills my Mexican food fix.

Morimoto - Named after the iron chef himself, it's the place to get Sushi in Philadelphia. When he's there it's even better (the menu is the same but it's a better experience). Otherwise, you are still paying for his name without getting to see him. The food is very good, but a bit overpriced (hence why the NY location doesn't have quite the same reputation when compared to Nobu and the likes).

Tangerine - I think this is my favorite Starr restaurant, even though I don't get to it that often. It has a great menu, very diverse - there is always another dish to come back and get.

Barclay Prime - The Starr for steaks (although I guess there is a new place that is actually "just" a steakhouse). Home of the $100 kobe cheesesteak. They have great steaks, that's you thing it's great - if not the menu is fairly limited in other respects so you have to be in the mood.

Reading Terminal in general is pretty awesome http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/. Lots of selections and relatively cheap.I have seen a few other places to eat as well but haven't yet. As I find more hot spots I will try and remember to add on to this list. Also feel free to PM me with questions or comments.. or just to meet up sometime

The Eatery - www.theeatery.ca - It is a funky japanese restaurant in the Kitsilano area. If you go along West Broadway towards UBC (past Lumière and Feenie's restaurants) you should see it. The owner has these 1950's cars parked outside (I forget what kind it is). It is a UBC student haven, so you'll find it really packed on Friday evenings, so don't be surprised for a line up. If you're of the older crowd, you may not enjoy this as it is really aimed towards a younger generation, or if you were a hippy in your past life. Their catchphrase is: Miso Hungry. Visit the website so you understand what I mean..

Subeez - www.subeez.com - This restaurant is interesting, and located in the Yaletown district. When I've been there, they allowed customers to raise the volume of the music as loud as they wanted to.. Food is great, they cover your burgers, salads, entrées, etc. I think the ambiance of the place is what really makes it unique. The restaurant has a dark industrial look & feel to it: life size naked male statue, mexican prayer candles on every table, swords painted on fabric drape the windows, etc. Mind you, if you're not into the dark, warehouse, gothic, yuppieness--don't go here./

I can add significantly to that list. I intend to in the near future if there is any interest as MPLS is not a hot travel spot. Otherwise, Enygma, I have some must trys in the Minneapolis area for you.

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Maudies Cafe - http://www.maudies.com/ - GREAT Mexican food IMO the best in the word you have to get their queso, there are 5 locations in Austin all of them are good though I perfer the one on Lake Austin Blvd.

Thunder Cloud Subs - Great sub shop they have the most amazing sandwith called the California Club its basicaly a club with guacamole.

Freebirds Burritos - a chain burrito place in and around central texas has a very wide veriety of burritos you can choose from.

Philadelphia, PA - Amend to the list above.
If you're looking for cheesesteaks (since that's likely the most famous Philly food), you'll get a million different opinions on the best. Really it depends on what you like.

Campo's Deli - 214 Market St. - One of my favorites. The meat is tender, bun is pretty good, and the cole slaw is awesome. They aren't the best value or biggest sandwich, but it's a good steak.Geno's & Pat's - 9th & Passyunk - The two iconic south Philly traditions. Pat's dices the meat, Geno's takes the long, thin slices. It's really a matter of preference, although I consider both pretty much equal. They're more tourist traps than anything, not the best sandwiches.John's Roast Pork - Snyder & Weccacoe - Amazing sandwiches, known mostly for the roast pork, but they also make killer cheesesteaks. Was voted Best Steaks in Philly by the Inquirer. They close before dinner time, so it's only breakfast or lunch here.Steve's Prince of Steaks - 7200 Bustleton Ave. - Out of the way place in the Northeast just shy of Cottman. They were #2 on the best of Philly list. I haven't eaten there, but they get tremendous reviews.Tony Luke's - 39 E Oregon Ave. - Decent steak place, kind of out of the way in south Philly. Close to the sports complex. The sandwiches are better than most, especially with Broccoli Rabe (get the Roast Pork Italian).

There's more than just cheesesteaks to keep in mind:

Vietnam - 221 N 11th St. - Probably the best food you'll find in Chinatown. Good luck getting a table; you'll have to wait a couple hours at peak times.

Pietro's Coal Oven - 1714 Walnut St. - If you like Brick Oven pizza, this is your place. The pies are large and the prices aren't bad. Decent food overall including options other than pizza.

Capogiro - 119 S 13th & 117 S 20th (two locations) - Best gelato you'll find in the city. If you've never had gelato, it's like a mix between custard and regular ice cream. It is somewhat expensive, so be sure to sample before you commit to a flavor (or two or three). Very good dessert and plenty of flavors to choose from.

Mccormick & Schmick's - Penn Square & South Broad St. - More upscale, expensive seafood restaurant right by city hall. The atmosphere is nice and the food is definitely good, including a large variety of fresh fish (and likely some you've never heard of).

Italian Market - 9th St. between Fitzwater & Wharton - A large outdoor market in South Philly, most full of grab 'n' go type meals. Visit DiBruno cheeses if you're into that sort of thing. Plenty of eateries and Italian restaurants to keep you full of carbs.

Melting Pot - 1219 Filbert St. - Fondue is the name of the game here. It is somewhat expensive, but really meant to serve groups of people. Good if you have a family and kids, or looking for some romance.

Hard Rock Cafe - 12th & Market - Nothing superbly special about this place; standard food surrounded by memorabilia. If you get the nachos, don't plan on eating anything else. Right by Market Station so convenient for the train-goers.

I'm blanking on where else I've eaten. I'll add as I remember places.
If you're looking for nightlife, you're best bets are bars around Rittenhouse and then Old City. Some of the places are more upscale and carry a higher price tag, but one of my favorites is Fado on Locust & 13th. It's an Irish pub so you know you're in good hands. If you go down the piers on Columbus, it's mostly Jersey rats.

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